CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Rodolfo Castro didn’t come into Spring Training with a different hair color like Luis Ortiz or an altered batting stance like Jack Suwinski, but he did arrive in camp with something new: a silver chain with a Henry Cavill-era Superman pendant, a piece he’s proudly rocked since Spring Training’s first day.

“He likes it a lot,” said team interpreter Stephen Morales. “I don’t think he can fly,”

Castro might be unable to fly, but with his first full season on the horizon, he’s preparing to make a leap forward.

"I know it's a competition, but the only thing I can control is going about my business every day,” Castro said. “There are some things we can't control, and that's one of them -- who's going to wind up there. I'm going to be able to control myself and be able to take that position.

“I want it. I want it really bad.”

Castro enters Spring Training as the favorite to assume the role of starting second baseman. When the Pirates traded infielder Kevin Newman to the Reds in exchange for right-handed reliever Dauri Moreta, the club effectively cleared the way for Castro to take over at second base on a full-time basis. Given how Castro performed in about half of a season, the 23-year-old is deserving of an extended run.

Castro slugged 11 home runs across 71 games, putting him on pace for 25 home runs across a full season. He ranked in the 78th percentile of max exit velocity, and if he qualified, his .427 slugging percentage would’ve ranked seventh among second basemen. Along with his qualifications, Castro earned the endorsement of a certain 6-foot-7 shortstop.

"The communication part is the most important thing. I think me and Castro do that a lot,” said Oneil Cruz through Morales. “I feel really good having him next to me at second base."

Castro, though, has room to grow.

While Castro generated tantalizing exit velocities, he struggled to consistently barrel up pitches Had Castro qualified, he would’ve ranked around the 18th percentile of average exit velocity (87.3 mph) and 22th percentile of hard-hit percentage (35%).

The switch-hitting Castro has a concerning amount of swing and miss in his game. In 2022, Castro swung and missed at 14.8% of the pitches he swung at, which would’ve been tied for the 11th-highest mark in baseball had he qualified. He particularly struggled at pitches inside the strike zone; with a Z-Contact% of 79.9% -- Z-Contact% is the percentage of times a batter makes contact on pitches inside the zone -- Castro would’ve been tied for the sixth-lowest mark in baseball.

Castro’s defense at second base requires polish as well. Castro possesses a plus arm, rating in the 77th percentile of arm strength, but has -5 defensive runs saved and -3 outs above average in 384 1/3 innings at second base.

“I was making more emphasis on working out in the Dominican this offseason on my defense,” Castro said. “I think I'm in a really good spot now.”

Along with working on his game, Castro discussed his growth on the mental side. Castro described being affected mentally when the Pirates sent him down in early June, an experience that prompted him to learn how to compose himself in challenging situations.

“I need to control what I can control and forget about that, continue to work hard and learn from the process,” Castro said. “I learned from that particular situation last year, and I’m in a better spot now.”

Castro might be the incumbent, but the Pirates won’t simply gift him the starting job. Following an impressive 10-game stretch at the end of last season, Ji Hwan Bae, 23, comes into camp with his own case at second base. Tucupita Marcano, who played 49 games with the Pirates last season, will be in the running as well. Castro showed the value he can provide in a limited sample. Now, he’s ready to take the next step.

Even if he can’t fly.

“I think I did pretty good at the end to help the team win,” Castro said. “I gave 100% on the field all of the time, and I think I did a pretty good job last year that put me in a good spot this year for second base."